Sometimes the hardest part of making a film isn't writing the screenplay. It's deciding which story to tell in the first place.

In this episode of Aspiring Hollywood, I share a real experience from my years in the independent film business. I had just finished one film when I was given the opportunity to make another—but I had less than four weeks to come up with the story.

I had several completed screenplays in my portfolio, but finding the right one meant looking beyond the writing itself. The story had to fit the budget, make sense for the marketplace, and—just as importantly—be something I actually wanted to spend the next year of my life developing, producing, and marketing.

I ended up taking a screenplay that began as a supernatural story about a cop and his brother and rebuilding it into something very different.

Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons about choosing a story, developing characters, thinking visually, understanding the marketplace, and balancing creative decisions with the business realities of independent filmmaking.

In this episode, I also discuss:

• Why screenwriters and filmmakers should keep a portfolio of story ideas and completed screenplays • Why selecting the right story can be just as important as writing it • How a story can evolve when you start asking “what if?” • The importance of creating conflict between characters • Why recognizable characters can make a project more attractive to actors and buyers • How genre and marketplace considerations can influence creative decisions • Why a story needs to work within the realities of your production budget • The importance of choosing a story you're passionate enough to live with for the long haul

After more than 30 years in the independent film business, I've learned that making a movie involves much more than writing a good screenplay. You have to find a story that you believe in—and one that can survive the journey from the page to production and, ultimately, to an audience.

Read the full article: https://www.aspiringhollywood.com/selecting-the-story

About Aspiring Hollywood

Aspiring Hollywood features interviews with industry professionals, insights, advice, and stories about screenwriting, filmmaking, and the film business, drawn from more than 30 years of experience in the industry.

About Me

I'm Luc Saber, a filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, director, author, and story and production consultant with more than 30 years of experience in the film business.